Sermon Prepared by James McCullen
Email Preach Him with Dr. Jim

There Is Going to Be A Baby.
Isa 7:14

14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. NKJV

Introduction
I can remember the joy Christa and I shared as we anticipated having our babies. It changes most everything to have a baby in your home, Yet most people rejoice at the prospect.

One young girl in Sunday School was asked what do you think Joseph said when he found out about the baby Jesus? She answered "I don't know what Joseph said but on the way to church my mom said to my dad 'we are going to have another baby' and my dad said, oh wonderful that's just what we need."
 
 
 

1.    It Is Pleasingly Prophesied: There Is Going to Be A Baby. Isa 7:14


    Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. NKJV

A.    God . . Prophesied A Virgin Birth.

        1.    Announced 750 years before it occurred.
        2.    It had never happened before and never happened since.
        3.    Some do not believe.
            a.    They have a problem with God.
            b.    There God is too Small.

B.    God . . Provided A Virgin Birth. Luke 1:35
        And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the
        power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be
        born will be called the Son of God. NKJV

Illustration
Over in Mtn. View Missouri a woman who got pregnant claimed she was a virgin and the baby would be virgin born. No one believed that story.

Why? Because of the character of the person and the lack of intervention by God.

Application

Mary was a Godly lady. All we know about her alludes to a righteous young lady.
 
 
 

2.     It Is A Privilege: There Is Going to Be A Baby.        Lk 1:26-29


    26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of
    Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the
    house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to
    her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"
    29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of
    greeting this was.

A.    Privileged as A . . Happy One. v 28 a
        ". . . "Rejoice, . . . "

        1.    An Angel Appeared to Mary.
        2.    An Angel Complemented Mary.

B.    Privileged as A . . Highly Favored One. v 28 b
        ". . . highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"

        1.    Highly Favored With the . . Presence of the Lord.
                ". . . the Lord is with you; . . . "

        2.    Highly Favored With the . . Praise of the Lord.
                ". . . blessed are you among women!"

Illustration
It is a privilege to be chosen by God for any service. Mary has a once in history kind of an experience
 

Application

Do you understand God's Call In Your Life?
 
 
 

3.    It Is Perplexing: There Is Going to Be A Baby. 


    Luke 1:30-35 30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found
    favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son,
    and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the
    Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will
    reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." 34 Then
    Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" 35 And the angel
    answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the
    Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be
    called the Son of God.

A.    Perplexing Because Of Mary's . . Intimacy. v 34 b
        "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"

        1.    Note Mary's Question, "How".

B. Perplexing Because Of Mary's . . Information. v 35
    And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power
    of the highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be
    called the Son of God.

    1.    This had never happened Before.

Illustration
Situation Ethics have just about over taken our society. This philosophy says "the situation determines what kind of ethics we employ." Mary is confronted with a perplexing situation.

Application

If God puts you in a place where the possibility of ridicule and criticism abound what will you do? Would you be perplexed?
 
 
 

4.    It Is Proclaimed: There Is Going to Be A Baby. 

A.    The Baby is Proclaimed by Mary. Luke 1:38
        Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your
        word." And the angel departed from her.

B. The Baby is Proclaimed by . . Elizabeth. Luke 1:45
    Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told
    her from the Lord." NKJV

        1.    Elizabeth the Aunt of Mary Proclaims the Birth.
        2.    Her baby leaped in her womb at the of Mary.
        3.    John the Baptist in Elizabeth's womb knew Jesus He Was in the womb of Mary and
                he leaped for Joy.

C.    The Baby is Proclaimed by . . Angels. Luke 2:10-12
        10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of
        great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of
        David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find
        a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." NKJV

D. The Baby is Proclaimed by . .Shepherds. Luke 2:16-18
        16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
        17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told
        them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which
        were told them by the shepherds. NKJV

Illustration
There is a contemporary chorus titled "Yes Lord" It says.

Yes Lord, Yes to your will and to your way
I say yes, Lord Yes, I will trust you and obey.

When your Spirit speaks to me, with my whole heart I'll agree
And my answer will be yes Lord, Yes!

Application

I think as Mary proclaimed the birth of Jesus she could have been the inspiration for that song. Note again her words.

        "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word."

She said Yes. Lord Yes!


 
 

5.    It Is Penetratingly Prophesied: There Is Going to Be A Baby.

    Introduction: This prophecy immediately is not as joyous. This child will suffer and die but
    that ends up in good news. The Gospel

Lk 2:34-35 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this
Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be
spoken against 35(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts
of many hearts may be revealed." NKJV

A.    The . . Destiny of the Prophesy. v 34 a
        "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which
        will be spoken against "

        1.    This Child has a special Birth for A special Death.
                a.    A Sinless Life from nature through choice.
                b.    A Redeeming Death. John 18:37
                "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause
                I have come into the world, NKJV

C.    The . . Dagger of the Prophesy. v 34 a
        "(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), . . . "

        1.    Do you think Mary remembered this prophesy as she stood at the cross?
        2.    Mary more than any one else know whether Jesus was Virgin Born or not.
        3.    Why didn't she cry out at the cross "take Him down He is not the virgin born Son of God.
                I know who is father is and it is not God.
        4.    Mary did not because she could not.
        5.    More that any one she knew Jesus was the Virgin Born Son of God.
        6.    Her very soul was cut with remorse for Jesus.
        7.    But she knew it was the only way for salvation to come to her or any of us.

Yes! It Is Penetratingly Prophesied:

There Is Going to Be A Baby.